Cell displays #'s incorrectly

[PJ in Fla]

In Excel 2003, I have cells formatted to display with 0 decimal places. The
formula in the cell evaluates to a number with many decimals (=10/9), and
displays correctly (1) unless the width is less than 60 pixels. Then it
fills the cell with #'s.

In the font I'm using, the cell should display correctly down to 12 pixels.
Other cells that evaluate to whole numbers display correctly.

I'd prefer not to have to have cells wide enough to display all the
fractional numbers if I only want 0 decimals. Is there a solution or is this
just "one of those Excel things"?

 

[Bernard Liengme]

The decimal point need some space. So I can have 12 display OK but 1.1
displays # when I make the cell very narrow.
Not much one can do (from cool Nova Scotia ---- 'cool' as in low °C)

 

[PJ in Fla]

Bernard,

Thanks for the reply.

Note the difference in "displaying OK but too wide" to "should display OK in
narrow cell but doesn't" is 60 pixels vs. 12 pixels. Big difference of 48
pixels. Excel can display 7 "#" characters (#######) in the cell but can't
display "1" correctly.

If the answer is "That's the way Excel works" then I think this is a bug in
Excel.

The display routing should be determining the formatting of the cell's value
before generating the display of the cell to see if the *FORMATTED* result
displays correctly before throwing up it's hands and stuffing "######" in the
field.

Since it doesn't apparently do that, IMHO that is a mistake in the display
processing of the cells.

--
---------------------------
PJ (living with Excel bugs) in (sunny and warm) Fla

The decimal point need some space. So I can have 12 display OK but 1.1
displays # when I make the cell very narrow.
Not much one can do (from cool Nova Scotia ---- 'cool' as in low °C)

 

[PJ in Fla]

Well, after I cleared ALL formats from the cells and reapplied "Number, 0
decimal places" formatting, the numbers display as expected.

I have no idea how the original formatting was applied, or what was applied.
I received the spreadsheet from someone else. I guess this is a solution,
so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
--
---------------------------
(puzzled but working) PJ in (sunny and HOT) Fla

Bernard,

Thanks for the reply.

Note the difference in "displaying OK but too wide" to "should display OK in
narrow cell but doesn't" is 60 pixels vs. 12 pixels. Big difference of 48
pixels. Excel can display 7 "#" characters (#######) in the cell but can't
display "1" correctly.

If the answer is "That's the way Excel works" then I think this is a bug in
Excel.

The display routing should be determining the formatting of the cell's value
before generating the display of the cell to see if the *FORMATTED* result
displays correctly before throwing up it's hands and stuffing "######" in the
field.

Since it doesn't apparently do that, IMHO that is a mistake in the display
processing of the cells.